A man who took a car without permission and ran it off the road had no licence to drive, a court has heard.
Gavin Hampton had repeatedly asked the car’s owner if he could drive it but was refused.
However, when the owner fell asleep and left the keys unattended Hampton seized his opportunity and took it for a spin.
Hampton, 24, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent or lawful authority and driving without a licence.
Fiscal depute Emma MacEwan told the court that the incident took place on December 11 last year.
Man’s requests to drive refused
She said that Hampton and the witnesses were on a road trip when Hampton made a number of requests to drive the vehicle – all of which were declined by the owner.
Ms MacEwan said that when they reached Cannich the owner was tired so decided to go to bed, leaving the keys to the car on a table in the hall.
She said: “The witness was then woken up. The accused stated that he had taken the vehicle out for a drive and it had then been left in Glen Affric.”
Unlicenced driver ‘came a cropper’
When they arrived at the scene – around four miles from where the owner had left the car – it was “off the road and down an embankment.”
Police were called, and Hampton cautioned and charged. He confirmed to officers that he was driving the vehicle.
Solicitor Rory Gowans told the court that his client did not have a driving licence.
He said: “He had no business taking the car and he very quickly found out that he shouldn’t have taken it.”
He added: “He came a cropper.”
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald disqualified Hampton, of Gilbert Street, Inverness, from driving for six months and placed him on a community payback order with one year’s supervision.
